LIAM COYLE, last season's Players' Player of the Year and the Soccer Writers' Personality of the Year, has replaced Pat Morley as Shelbourne's primary target in the transfer market.
The Derry-born striker is currently in dispute with Glentoran following his £38,000 transfer from his native club.
Glentoran have suspended the 27-year-old and Shelbourne have emerged as favourites to resolve the impasse after the Glenavon manager Nigel Best and his Glentoran counterpart Tommy Cassidy, firmly rebutted any notion of a player-exchange deal involving Coyle and Raymond McCoy.
Furthermore, Coyle has reiterated that he wants to move on from the Oval and Shelbourne began negotiations with a view to obtaining him on loan in time for this Sunday's FAI Harp Lager Cup first round tie with Shamrock Rovers at the RDS.
Due to the 14-day embargo on new signings before the cup that will not now be possible but Shelbourne are still pursuing the possibility of signing Coyle in time for Friday week's Premier Division game at home to Athlone.
The stumbling block may be Glentoran's insistence that any transfer involving Coyle can only be of a permanent nature.
Shelbourne's preference has been for an extended loan until the end of the season, though as the February 1st deadline for transfers nears, the option of a full transfer would intensify given the right price.
Coyle is seen as the prospective missing link in the Shelbourne chain after a string of substandard displays, particularly in the final third of the field where all but seven of the team's 27 goals have been scored by lone striker Stephen Geoghegan and attacking midfielder John O'Rourke, along with Greg Costello's four penalties.
His first touch and ability to hold up the ball with his back to goal, bringing others into the game, ought to blend in with Shelbourne's attack-minded, passing game.
If that move fails then Shelbourne may then go for Morley. Cork's chairman, Pat O'Donovan, yesterday confirmed that Shelbourne, interested in Morley all season, have never made a formal offer.
O'Donovan also refuted rumours that the FAI National League are on the verge of pulling out of their proposed £270,000 rescue package - under the terms of which they would have bought the club's Bishopstown grounds with the money going to City's creditors - on the basis that the package does not include the access road and car park.
"The respective solicitors are finalising the plans," claimed O'Donovan, adding: "there won't be a problem unless people want to have a problem."
O'Donovan also maintained that the club is meeting its obligations with regard to payment of players and said that there would be additions to the board of directors. This has slipped to two himself and Richard O'Brien after Chris Herlihy resigned last week.
Paul Carey, younger brother of hurling star Ciaran Carey, is short-listed by Limerick FC manager, Billy Kinnane, for tonight's rearranged National League First Division fixture against Home Farm-Everton at Whitehall.
Carey has shown promise with the St Patrick's junior club and is highly rated by Kinnane, who is likely to be without several of his key players. including Noel King, Howie King and Albert Finnan.
Limerick face something of a crisis where players are concerned. They have one of the smallest panels in the National League and within a matter of weeks are set to lose David Minihan and Daithi McMahon, both of whom are going to the United States.
Oldham have been ordered to pay Stoke £180,000 for Icelandic midfielder Toddy Orlygsson.
The Boundary Park club had claimed that the 29-year-old former Nottingham Forest man, out of contract at the Victoria Ground, should have been available as a free transfer following the Jean-Marc Bosman ruling.
